According to a report prepared for the Pentagon, hackers in China have gained access to many of America’s most sensitive advanced weapons systems.

Said Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM):

“China’s cyber-theft of designs for U.S. advanced weapons systems points to the pressing need to secure America’s defense supply chains. The technological superiority of our military is at stake.

“It’s bad enough that China now has the blueprints for our most sophisticated defense systems. But that’s only part of the problem. China is actually supplying our own military with critical components for our weapons systems and other equipment. In effect, they hold the keys to our ability to arm our military.

“We need an aggressive strategy to safeguard our defense supply chains at all levels. That must start with an understanding that procurement policies that allow, and in some cases encourage, sourcing of critical defense materials from China and other potentially unreliable suppliers don’t make sense.”

Earlier this month, AAM released a study by Brigadier General John Adams (U.S. Army, Retired) that says urgent action is needed to reduce the U.S. military’s dangerous dependence on foreign suppliers for the raw materials, parts, and finished products needed for our national defense.

Among the key concerns cited in the report: The U.S. depends on China to supply such key military components as Hellfire missile propellant, Lanthanum for night-vision goggles, and the high-tech magnets needed to manufacture missiles, jet fighters, tanks, and satellite communications.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership formed in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers to explore common solutions to challenging public policy topics such as job creation, infrastructure investment, international trade, and global competitiveness. For more information, please visit www.americanmanufacturing.org.